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Gas Fireplace Inserts
A gas insert fireplace is just simply a gas fireplace that is designed to go into an approved wood burning fireplace.
The gas insert utilizes the existing chimney.
There are two types of insert fireplaces
Conventional vent, natural vent or B-vent fireplace
- Three different names for the same fireplace type
These take combustion air inside from the room and exhaust the flue gases up the chimney liner.
An approved chimney liner (usually 4”) must be installed into the existing wood fireplace
chimney and sealed at the roof with a proper vent cap.
Because a wood chimney is designed to exhaust a tremendous amount of heat from a
wood fire they must be quite large.
Because newer gas fireplaces are quite efficient they don’t generate very much heat up the chimney.
A chimney must get quite hot in order for it to naturally exhaust the flue gases.
This is why a small chimney liner must be installed so that the insert can get the chimney liner hot enough for it to vent properly.
Should you have a negative pressure in your home most gas inserts have a downdraft sensor
switch which will shut off the gas fireplace if it is not venting properly.
Direct Vent Insert Fireplace
Direct vent insert fireplaces look almost identical from the outside as a conventional vent insert.
The big difference with a direct vent is that the glass front window is sealed from allowing
any air from the house from going up the chimney.
It also seals a combustion flue gases from entering the home in a downdraft situation.
The direct vent has two liners going up the chimney (usually 3 inch)
One chimney is for exhaust and the other chimney is for combustion air which is
brought down the chimney from outside.
They both connect to an approved direct vent termination cap at the roof.
These are a little bit more efficient as they are not using air from your home for
combustion air (which you have already paid to heat)
They are also safer and less prone to any venting problems.
Today’s homes are sealed very well. When any range hood fans, bathroom fans etc.
take air out of your home it must be replaced.
Most homes have a combustion air coming into the furnace room.
If not enough adequate air comes into the home it can start drawing down your chimneys causing a reverse flow.
Basement fireplaces tend to have more negative vent problems than a main floor fireplace.
For this reason you should never install a conventional vent fireplace insert into a basement wood fireplace.
A direct vent is not affected by negative pressures because it is sealed from the inside air.
It should be your only choice for a basement installation.
Protech would never sell or install a conventional vent insert fireplace into basement fireplace.
For a main floor fireplace it should be strongly considered as you can also sometimes
have negative pressures even on a main floor fireplace.
An insert has a downdraft switch but it is not as reliable as a direct vent.
After all, you just want to flick the switch on and not have to worry about any problems
opening windows etc. to get the chimney to start venting.
In the near future conventional vent appliances will no longer be approved for
installation in Alberta or Canada.
Regency, Kingsman and Napoleon manufacture insert fireplaces in both natural draft and direct vent fireplaces.
If you see a vent free fireplace in the US or on the internet forget about having it installed in Alberta.
These are not legal in Alberta nor should they be.
These put all the byproducts of combustion directly into your home.
Vent free appliances generate a huge amount of water vapor as a byproduct of combustion.
Too much moisture can cause mold problems.
There is a lot of carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide put into the air in your home as well.
It is very important that anyone installing a gas fireplace knows what they are doing.
Many manufacturers may not honor the warranty if the fireplace was not installed by
a qualified installer.
Aside from making sure all the natural gas connections are sealed properly,
it is just as important if not more important that the chimney venting be installed properly.
Improperly installed venting or venting installed in a situation where it won’t vent properly
can have very serious consequences.
If you have a fully qualified installer you need not worry about carbon monoxide poisoning.
Of course the more experience your installer has the more capable they are of doing a proper
installation in the many different situations.
CO Detectors
Whenever you are now installing any new gas appliance in your home you must have a carbon
monoxide detector installed within 5 meters of any bedroom or sleeping area.
Usually one is enough in the main hallway but if you have bedrooms on another floor a second
CO detector will have to be installed.
These detectors must either be hard wired or battery operated.
If they are plug in style they must have battery back up in case it is accidentally knocked out of the plug..
A battery operated CO detector can be purchased at Home Depot, Revy, etc. for about $40.00.
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